Williamson on Those Nazi Food Regulations

Kevin Williamson of the National Review has found something to make him very upset. So upset that it makes him want to “burn my passport and move into a fortified rural compound.” So upset that he compares it the actions of the Gestapo in Nazi Germany. What is it? Federal regulation of food content.

Eggnog in particular. It’s in this article detailing what is inside the eggnog you’re buying at the grocery store:

Cholesterol-laden home recipes for nog call for six to 12 eggs per quart of milk. This version—which shows up in stores for the holidays—contains far fewer. Based on the total cholesterol content, we estimate that it has just two large egg yolks per quart. Because eggnog contains dairy and eggs, it’s regulated by the FDA, which requires commercial nog to contain 1 percent “egg yolk solids.”…

The FDA dictates that US nog have at least 6 percent milk fat. Since whole milk is only about 3.5 percent, many manufacturers add a dollop of cream to boost the lipids.

And Williamson’s reaction:

Somewhere in the vast array of federal rules and regulations — the 10,000 Commandments — is one specifying the minimum of milk fat that eggnog shall contain. Did the men who fought at Lexington and Concord do so in order to set up a new regime that would manage their lives on this level? King George III would never have dreamed of such imperious behavior. Is there nothing too trivial for the federal government to micromanage?…

I shall now set something on fire.

Yes, he’s clearly exaggerating for some non-comedic effect. But seriously, this is worth pulling out the Hitler analogies? This is what it takes to make a right winger freak out?